Orthodontic device



April 17, 1951 H. J. RUSSELL 2,549,528

ORTHODONTIC DEVICE Filed Aug. 12, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4 INVENTOR.

HARRY J. RUSSELL A TTO/QNEY April 17, 1951 H. J. RUSSELL ORTHODONTIC DEVICE 2 Sheets-sheet 2 Filed Aug. 12, 1 949 INVENTOR.

n Y E a N S Q U T Y A R R Patented Apr. 17, 1 951 7 2,549,528 ORTHODONTIC DEVICE Harry John Russell, Newark, N. J., assignor to Baker & '00., .Inc., Newark, N. J a corporation of NewJersey Application August 12, 1949, Serial No. 109,909

9 Claims. 1

The present invention deals with an orthodontic device and more particularly with an orthodontic lock for securing an arch bow to the teeth for the correction of irregular teeth on the dental arch. Orthodontic arch bow locks of various types have been proposed and used to correct the irregularity of teeth. In most cases, the locks are advantageously positioned on the anterior surface of the teeth for easier application, but project outwardly therefrom to such a degree .as to cause discomfort to the patient. Some locks heretofore known are provided as a plurality of unassembled cooperating parts and necessitate the presence of the patient for complete assembly of the lock since the assembly is usually completed when the arch bow is positioned anteriorly of the teeth. Such locks are usually placed into a locking position either by a locking member moved transversely with respect to a tooth, or by securing an arch bow to a locking structure by tying or otherwise fastening the arch bow to the locking structure in a series of operations before the arch bow is correctly positioned and locked. In the case of thetransverse locking action, the area of contact of the lock with the arch bow is usually large and thereby appreciably restrains the inherent resiliency of the arch bow. Also, a large area'of contact of the arch bow with a lock structure interferes with correct positioning of the locks on teeth when the degree of tooth irregularity is great. Locks which require a series of operations for securing an arch bow to the lock are undesirable since the patient is subjected to the application procedure for very long periods which add to his discomfort.

All orthodontic locks heretofore known are associated with one or more of the .abovementioned disadvantages.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a completely assembled orthodontic lock prior to the application of an arch bow thereto. It is another object of the present invention to provide an orthodontic lock which secures an arch bow thereto by a single operation. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an orthodontic lock which does not appreciably restrain the inherent resiliency of an arch bow. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an orthodontic lock which lies substantially flat against a tooth. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description hereinafter following and the drawings forming part hereoflin which: a

Figure 1' is a plan view of a dental arch equipped with an orthodontic device according to my' invention,

Figure 2 isan enlarged front elevati'onalview of an orthodontic lock according to my invention as applied to a single tooth,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of my invention,

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along lines 44 of Figure 3, including an 'elevationalview of another embodiment of the invention,

Figure '5 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of my invention,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of an assembled orthodontic lock according to the present. in.- vention,

Figure 7 is .a diagrammatic side view of a modification of the invention, Figure 8 is a sectional side view of another modification of the invention, and

Figure -9 is a 'front-elevational view of still another modification 0f the invention.

According to my invention, I provide a substantially flat orthodontic lock comprising two main structures which interlock and cooperate with each other to provide a vertical locking action, said structures being retained in co: operatingposition by a retainingme'ans which allows limited vertical movement to prevent said structures from complete disengagement once the lock has been completely assembled. Theve'rti cal locking action is advantageous in that item ables the application of the lock to a tooth regardless of the degree of irregularity of the teeth on the dental arch. The entire lock'is dimens ioned so th at the contact area with an arch bow is comparatively small, which allows the arch bow to retain its inherent resiliency to a' great extent and also provides the arch bOW'fWlth' suflicient free length to follow an irregular contour of the teeth on the dental arch dependingupon thepredetermined correction plan for the teeth. An outstanding advantage of my invention is the fact that the arch bow is applied to the locks only after the lock is assembled so that a single locking operation is sufficient to secure said arch bow to said locks. saving of time in positioning the arch bow, which lessens the discomfort of the patient, and enables easier manipulation of the arch bow since the arch bow may be adjusted without entire disengagement of the cooperating lock components. 7 According to Figure 1, my invention comprise an orthodontic look I positioned'anteriorly of a tooth 2 by means of a tooth band 3' to 'whicliithe This allows a considerable look is secured, preferably by soldering. A plurality of locks, each relating to a single tooth, are similarly positioned and secured, and each lock retains a wire arch bow 4 substantially in conformity with a dental arch. The ends of the arch bow wire are anchored to a suitable anchor means 5, e. g. anchor tubes, which are soldered to tooth bands secured to a pair of molars as illustrated.

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of a single lock positioned according to Figure 1 and particularly illustrating said lock in locked position with the arch bow 4 secured thereto. The lock itself comprises two main structures including a metal lock base 6 constructed for vertical sliding engagement with a cooperating looking member or metal post I. The post I is provided with either a substantially centrally located aperture 8 formed through said post, or with an aperture 8 and a notch 9 at the lower end ofsaid post. The components of the lock are substantially flat and of a size too small for eificient handling with the fingers and, therefore, the assembly of the lock is facilitated by the provision of said aperture which is shaped to cooperate with an assembling tool or key having an end insertable within said aperture. The assembling tool and aperture herein referred to are particularly described and illustrated in my Patent No. 2,046,- 414. Although the aperture 8 is primarily used for assembling purposes, it may also be used for opening and closing said orthodontic lock. However, for opening purposes to disengage an arch bow wire from the lock, the aperture is not necessary because any suitable pointed instrument may be utilized in conjunction with the notch 9.

Figure 3 illustrates the unassembled lock base 6 in perspective. The base 6 may be manufactured from flat stock material, preferably noncorrosive metal, by blanking out a T-shaped structure and forming the sides and I l and the bottom portion [2 substantially perpendicular to the body portion [3, or by swaging a small metal block to form said sides and subsequently machining the structure to the desired dimensions.

The inner surfaces [4 and [5 of the sides [0 and II are undercut or machined to cooperate or interlock in vertical sliding engagement with the interlocking sides of the metal post 1 as illustrated by Figure 5. A drill hOle I 6 is formed through an upper central portion of the body l3 so that at a later assembling stage a retaining means 11, e. g. a pin, shown in elevation in Figure 4, may be hammered into or otherwise secured to said drill hole. In the alternative, the drill hole I6 may be dispensed with and a retaining means may be formed integral with the body I3, at the location of the hole l6, by swaging or otherwise forming a projection as a retaining means. A suitable transverse groove I8 is formed, preferably machined, into the bottom portion of the base [3 perpendicular to said locking member to provide the space which the arch wire 4 will ultimately occupy when the lock and arch how are assembled and positioned. The groove I8 may have any appropriate dimensions depending upon the type of arch wire used. For example, if a twin arch bow comprising two wires is utilized, the groove may be substantially broader than in the case where a single wire is positioned edge-wise into said groove. In the latter case, the groove could be dimensioned for sufficient depth to contain said edge-wire positioned wire. In any case, the groove is dimensioned to substantially correspond with the arch bow wire used so that the arch bow is immovable in its final locked position.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the metal post 1 showing the beveled sides 19 and 20 which cooperate with the machined surfaces [4 and E5 of Figure 3 to provide a vertical movement of the post 1. The aperture 8 and notch 9 have been hereinbefore more particularly described. The post I is provided with a groove 2i machined centrally along the post between and parallel to the sides I9 and 20. Said groove 21 extends slightly below the aperture 8 and terminates so that a substantial portion of the post below the aperture is not grooved. Having provided the lock base 6 and the post 1, the lock is assembled as shown in Figure 6 by positioning the post 1 into the lock base 6 through the top of the lock base 6 so that the beveled sides of the post cooperate with the machined sides of the lock base. It is apparent from the drawings that the post in locked position rests upon the platform or end l2. Once the sides of the lock base and the post are in sliding engagement, the post is moved vertically until the aperture 8 rests over the drill hole [6. At this stage, a retaining member H, e. g a pin, may be secured into the drill hole. However, the retaining member may be secured to the drill hole prior to the introduction of the post and the post may then be introduced into sliding engagement with the sides of the lock base by bending the end [2 to allow entry of the post and then bending the end [2 back to its normal position.

The retaining member I1 is positioned so that it projects from the drill hole for a distance sufficient for cooperation with the groove 2|. When the retaining member is secured and the post positioned, the lock itself is completely assembled and is provided'with a limited vertical movement since the downward movement is limited by the end or platform [2 and the upward movement is limited by the retaining member due to the fact that the retaining member allows upward movement only up to and including the aperture 8. It is apparent from the drawings that the upward movement of the post is arrested by contact of the lower ungrooved portion of the post which acts as a stop or abutment for the pin ll.

If a swagged projection is used as a retaining member to replace the aforementioned drill hole and. pin, the bottom end l2 of the lock base 6 may be bent from the perpendicular toallow entry of the post I between the sides Hi and II and afterwards bent back to the perpendicular.

The completely assembled lock is subsequently positioned and soldered to a tooth band. When a plurality of assembled locks are positioned on individual teeth of the dental arch, it is then only necessary to position an arch wire into the groove l8 and slide the post I downwardly over the arch wire thereby locking the arch wire with the single downward movement. After assembly, the lock components are not normally disengageable, which is advantageous since the small lock parts are not subject to loss or do not present any added handling operations in order to secure an arch bow to said lock.

Figure '7 illustrates a modification of the lock base 6, said modification being particularly applicable to the end portion [2 of the lock base, which is provided with an angular extension 22 having an inner side 23 parallel to a face of the .post I so that upon downward movement of the post 7 its lower side or face frictionally contacts the inner side 23. The frictional contact between the post and the extension 22 is advantageous in that the look, after the arch wire is secured thereto, is held in closed position not only by the force of the resilient wire against the post, ibllt also by frictional contact of the post and the extension 22 below the groove 18; Therefore, Vertical movement of the post is substantially impeded to the extent that the arch bow is not dislodged from the lock. unless desired, in which case a tool,.key.or the like instrument is :necessary to give vertical movement to .said post to disengage the arch bow.

Figure '8 is asectional side view of another modification of the invention wherein the lock base structure 24 is provided with vertical interlocking sides above and below'a transversegrcove 25 positioned substantially equidistant between its top and bottom, said groove having appropri.-; ate dimensions for containing an arch bow wire placed edgewise therein. The bottom portion or platform 12 herei-nbeiore described is eliminated in thisgmodification and a retaining, means 23, e. g. a retaining pin, is substituted therefor. The

locking member 21 is provided with a short groove 28 for engaging :the pin '26 to prevent, further downward movement of the locking member. The pin :26 cooperates with thegroovie 12B and the pin. 23, which is similar to'the" pin IEThereinbefore described, cooperates with the groove 30, which is substantially similar to the groove 2| hereinbefore described, to limit the vertical or upward and downward movement-of the locking member 21. The lock is assembled by sliding the locking member 21 upward between the interlocking sides of the lock base structure 24 until the pin 29 in the groove 30 stops further upward movement, and the pin 26 is then positioned or secured to the lock base 24 so that a downward movement of the locking member 21 is limited by the contact of the ,pin 26 with the groove 28.

Figure 9 illustrates still another modification of the present invention wherein only a single retaining pin 3| is necessary to allow a limited vertical movement and to prevent complete disengagement of the lock structures once the lock has been completely assembled. The post 32 is provided with an elongated slot 33 through said post, said slot having terminals 34 and 35 and being positioned substantially centrally of said post and parallel to the sides thereof. The lock is assembled by first engaging the lock post with the lock base and then securing the pin 3| above the groove for the arch wire and in cooperating contact with the slot 33 so that when the lock is opened the pin 3| contacts the terminal 35 of the slot 33 to prevent further upward movement. When the lock is closed, the pin 3! contacts the terminal 32 of the slot 33 to prevent further downward movement.

It is to be understood that theillustrations are considerably enlarged and slightly exaggerated to clearly show the lock structures and the assembled lock is actually dimensioned to'form a substantially flat structure against a tooth.

The present invention is not to be limited to specific structures set forth since it is apparent that slight modifications of the structures described are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. An orthodontic lock comprising in combination a lock base structure and a locking member, said locking member being provided with vertical beveled sides, an aperture, a vertical groove along said locking member intermediate of said sides, said lock base structure being provided with beveled sides engageable with said beveled sides of said locking member for vertical sliding movement of said locking member, an end'portion for restricting downward movement of said locking member, and a-retaining means engageable with said groove of said locking member for limiting upward movement of said locking member and for preventing disengagement of said locking member from said lock base structure, said lock base structure having a transverse groove per pendicular to said locking member for containing an arch bow wire.

2. An orthodontic lock comprising in combination a lock base structure and a locking member,

said locking member being provided with a notch on one end thereof, vertical beveled sides, an aperture, a vertical groove along said locking memberinterinediate of said sides, said lock base structure being provided with beveled sides engageablewith said beveled sides of said locking member for verticalsliding movement of said locking member, an end portion for restricting downward movement *of" said locking member, and a" retaining means consisting of a" pin engageable with said groove of said locking member for limiting upward movement of said locking member and for preventing-disengagement of said locking member from said lock base structure, said lock base structure having 'a transverse groove perpendicular to said locking means for containing an arch bow wire,

3. An orthodontic lock according to claim 1 comprising a lock base structure provided with a retaining means integral therewith for engagement with said groove of said locking member.

4. An orthodontic lock according to claim 1 comprising a locking member having an aperture formed therethrough for cooperation with a tool insertable therein to vertically move said locking member. r

5. An orthodontic lock according to claim 2 comprising a locking member having a notch at the lower end of said locking member for cooperation with an instrument insertable therein for disengaging an arch bow wire from said lock.

6. An orthodontic lock comprising in combination a lock base structure and a locking member, said locking member being provided with a, notch on one end thereof, vertical beveled sides, an aperture, a vertical groove along said locking member intermediate of said sides, said lock base structure being provided with beveled sides'engageable with said beveled sides of said locking member for vertical sliding movement of said locking member, an end portion for restricting downward movement of said locking member, and a retaining means consisting of a pin engageable with said groove of said locking member for limiting upward movement of said locking member and for preventing disengagement of said locking member from said lock base structure, said lock base structure having a transverse groove perpendicular to said locking means for containing an arch bow wire, said end portion having an angular form comprising a side parallel to said locking member and positioned to frictionally contact said locking member to impede vertical motion of said lock ing member. I

7. An orthodontic lock comprising in combination a lock base structure and a locking member, said locking member being provided with vertical beveled sides, an aperture, two vertical vided with beveled sides engageable with said beveled sides of said locking member for vertical sliding movement of said locking member, a. retaining means consisting of a pin engageable with one of said grooves for limiting upward movement of said locking member, and a retaining means consisting of a pin engageable with the other groove for limiting downward movement of said locking member, said lock base structure having a transverse groove perpendicular to said locking means and positioned substantially equidistant between the top and bottom of said lock base structure.

8. An orthodontic lock'comprising in combination a lock base structure and a locking member, said locking member being provided with vertical sides, a vertical groove along said locking member intermediate of said sides, said lock base structure being provided with undercut sides engageable with said vertical sides of said locking member for vertical sliding movement of said locking member, means for restricting downward movement of said locking member, and 1a retaining means engageable with said groove of said locking member for limiting upward movement of said locking member and for preventing disengagement of said locking member from said lock base structure, said lock base structure having a transverse groove perpendicular to said locking member for containing an arch bow wire.

9. An orthodontic lock comprising in combina- 8' tion a lock base structure and a locking member, said locking member being provided with vertical sides, an elongated vertical slot along said locking member intermediate of said sides, said lock base structure being provided with undercut sides engageable with said vertical sides of said locking member for vertical sliding movement of said locking member, means for restricting downward movement of said locking member, and a retaining means engageable with said slot of said 1ock ing member for limiting upward movement of said locking member and for preventing disengagement of said locking member from said lock base structure, said lock base structure having a transverse groove perpendicular to said locking member for containing an arch bow wire.

HARRY JOHN RUSSELL.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,204,113 Angle Nov. 7, 1916 1,369,665 Johnson Feb. 22, 1921 FOREIGN PATENTS Number- Country Date 685,981 Germany Dec. 29, 1939 

